May 22, 2013

Bake: Banana Nutella Muffins

I was having one of those days. One of those days where your fridge is empty, you haven't gone to the grocery store, you haven't gone to the gym, you have three assignments to finish, an exam to study for and a pantry to clean out.

To be honest, I could not be arsed to leave my apartment, and when I tried to make some mac n' cheese for myself at lunch, it turned out absolutely weird (too much cheese, not enough mac). After throwing the weird mac n' cheese out I was still hungry, and it was one of those hungers you get from being cranky and hyped up from cleaning out said pantry.

These muffins incorporate the last of my Nutella and bananas. I really don't care how one pronounces Nutella, as long one eats it, we're good.

This recipe makes 12 muffins:

2 cups flour

1 cup caster sugar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vanilla extract (i used vanilla sugar)

1 egg

3 over ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup almonds, chopped

Nutella

Preheat oven to 180C, line muffin pan with liners

Mix together flour, baking soda, salt and sugar

Add in egg, vegetable oil, almonds and mashed bananas, folding together until there are no lumps in the mixture

Fill muffin tins with mixture to about 3/4 full

Top each muffin with a teaspoon Nutella, and swirl into the mixture, sprinkling more almonds if you like

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until risen and an inserted toothpick comes out clean

It is with very little regret, that after I finished making these babies, my Nutella was completely wiped out. It was absolutely licked clean - this may or may not be due to me spending time cleaning out whatever was left behind in the Nutella tub after I was done spooning some into the muffin batter.

To be honest, I could have just eaten the Nutella by itself but there are certain lines I don't let myself cross when it comes to chocolate and hazelnut spread. Even if I did cross that line, we don't speak of it. We never speak of it.

These muffins will do nicely. I just had one, warm from the oven and now I feel I might be ready to go back to three assignments while still blatantly ignoring the need to study and formalise my page worth of notes for what will be the last exam of my university life.

Tomorrow, I will go to the gym, print out my assignment in uni a day early because the printing system in my school cannot be trusted, and go to the supermarket to do my groceries. I may or may not stock up my Nutella, and reconsider my banana requirements.

I might be cranky still, and even tired - but I can always come home to have one of these.